My passion is for telling stories, both visually and through sound. When I interview people, I elicit their stories, whether it is about their business or their lives. Stories are one of the ways we connect deeply to each other and the world. As human beings, we crave stories, going back to our origins as…
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A client asked me a question today about shooting outdoors and the sun. If you are shooting yourself outdoors should you have the sun behind you or in front of you? First of all, the best lighting happens in the morning and late afternoon these days. Midday sun washes things out and makes things evenly…
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Hold the Camera Still. Most amateur shooters will follow the action everywhere it goes. This causes jerky video. Also, how do you make a clean edit between a shot of the person (or dog) in the frame while the camera is in motion and another similar shot? Here’s a trick: let the subject exit the…
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When you are shooting things that you make happen, such as actions you can get your subject to do, plan on doing multiple takes. First of all, you want to make sure you have a good version. Second, you want a variety of shots and angles of the same thing. For example, when my client…
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As an editor, I implore everyone who shoots video to “Shoot-to-Edit.” This means you are thinking about what will work in the edit room. These are some shots you want to be sure to get, even if you might choose to leave them out when editing: Establishing Shot (ES) – the exterior of the building…
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Some say the audio is everything. In any case, don’t underestimate its importance! Luckily there are many great options for microphones. For my primary audio, I use a medium-length RØde microphone on top of my camera or a lavalier with a long cord that plugs into the camera. (Maybe it’s just me, but I haven’t…
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You may have heard of three-point lighting; a guideline to follow or ignore as you choose. I will sketch it out for you here. Light #1: Key light. This is typically at a 45-degree angle from the direction the subject is looking and is your brightest light. Light #2: Fill Light. This light shines from…
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1. Background Pay attention to what is behind your subject. It should be pleasing and not distracting. It should not draw the viewer’s attention away from the main subject. Avoid clutter and mess and add something meaningful and nice, like a plant, one framed photo, or one special object. DO NOT let a plant or…
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Most people have heard of The Rule of Thirds. Divide the screen into an imaginary grid of 2 vertical lines and 2 horizontal lines equally spaced. This gives you 3 sections in each direction, or 9 sections total. The places where these lines intersect is the best place to frame the most important part of…
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What is B-Roll? Any supplementary video that is considered secondary to your primary footage, such as the interview. B-Roll is the industry lingo for shots that are not of the interview or main action. This footage is essential for editing. (We will learn more about shooting for the sake of editing in tips 11 and…
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